- Title: China says it has right to build defence facilities on its soverignty
- Date: 17th January 2017
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JANUARY 17, 2017) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING SAYING: "What I want to say is that the Spratly islands are Chinese sovereign territory. China has the right to deploy necessary and appropriate defence equipment. China has always committed to peacefully resolving the South China Sea dispute through dialogue and negotiation with directly sovereignty countries, including the Philippines. Like what you can see, at present, the South China Sea issue has been progressively lowering the temperature and came back to normal path thanks to the joint efforts by China and relevant countries, including the Philippines, this is in line with the common interests of China and the Philippines, and of regional people." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
- Embargoed: 31st January 2017 09:38
- Keywords: China defence facilities equipment territory South China Sea
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZGXKXX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:China said on Tuesday (January 17) that it has right to deploy "necessary and appropriate" defense equipment on its sovereign territory in the disputes South China Sea after the Philippines' defence minister said China's recent installation of weapons on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea was "very troubling".
The Philippine foreign ministry sent a note verbale to the Chinese embassy last month after confirming a report from the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies about China's arms buildup in the Spratlys.
"The actions of China in militarising those disputed features are very troubling," Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.
"They do not square with the Chinese government's rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly."
Lorenzana took a stronger line than Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, who on Tuesday refrained from criticising China but said the issue had to be handled carefully and the public should know "we are not sleeping on the job".
With billions of dollars of potential Chinese trade and investment at stake, the Philippines has a difficult balancing act in upholding its sovereignty claims while staying on the better terms President Rodrigo Duterte has established with historic rival China.
Mischief Reef, one of the islands where China has modern weapons, is located within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
In Beijing, when asked about the Philippine protest, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had the right to deploy on the Spratly islands "necessary and appropriate defense equipment".
At a daily briefing, she reiterated a call for two-way talks between China and maritime claimants, adding that work between China and relevant parties, including the Philippines, was "progressively lowering the temperature in the South China Sea".
"What I want to say is that the Spratly islands are Chinese sovereign territory. China has the right to deploy necessary and appropriate defence equipment. China has always committed to peacefully resolving the South China Sea dispute through dialogue and negotiation with directly sovereignty countries, including the Philippines. Like what you can see, at present, the South China Sea issue has been progressively lowering the temperature and came back to normal path thanks to the joint efforts by China and relevant countries, including the Philippines, this is in line with the common interests of China and the Philippines, and of regional people," Hua told media.
The Philippines, for its part, has decided to shelve planned upgrades to facilities on islands it controls, such as repairing an eroded runway, to avoid incurring China's wrath.
Lorenzana said a diplomatic protest was the correct procedure and despite warming relations with China, the government still had a duty to protect the national interest.
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion of goods passes annually. An international arbitration ruling last year invalidated those claims.
China's artificial islands became a hot issue last week when the U.S. nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, told a Senate hearing that Beijing should be repelled from, and then denied access to, the controversial islets. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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